No Right Turn ***1/2

Trueman, Terry. No Right Turn. 2005.

Three years prior, Jordan was home alone when his father shot himself to death. Now, three years later, he has shut himself off emotionally and only has one friend. His mother has started datting Don, a guy down the street. Jordan isn't happy about it, but he does start to bond with Don over his Corvette Stingray. Because Don is on the road a lot for work, Jordan starts stealin the stingray to impress a girl, which seems to work pretty well. Of course, we all know it's just a matter of time before Jordan gets caught.

I think this book will please male readers. It's not as well written as his previous novels such as Stuck in Neutral, but it was still interesting and worth reading nonetheless.

Rash ****

Hautman, Pete. Rash. 2006.

This book is different than Hautman's other books in that it takes place in the future. Bo lives in the USSA (formerly the USA). Now everything is illegal. You can't do anything that might be harmful to yourself, such as play football. No one is allowed to be mean to anyone else, and everyone is medicated. Much of society is incarcerated because everything is illegal. The jails are work camps where all of the factory work is done, such as making frozen pizzas, and de-heading shrimp. Bo ends up in one of these work camps for doing nothing that the average teenager today doesn't already do. He ends up in the far north of Canada in a camp surrouned by hungry polar bears. Bo ends up on an illegal football team that competes with other workcams. Bo continues to talk with his Robot with a futuristic version of a computer or Palm Pilot.

This isn't science fiction, it is speculative fiction. It is a view of what the world may turn into in a hundred years if we continue on the same path we are on right now, with every aspect of our lives being legislated. Readers that like to think about what life will be like down the road might enjoy this book. A casual reader would probably not be interested, but more advanced readers might really get somethign out of it.

Confessions of a Hollywood Star *** 1/2

Sheldon, Dyan. Confessions of a Hollywood Star. 2005.

This is the sequel to the popular Confessions of a Teenage Drama Queen, which was also made into an equally popular movie.

Lola Cep wants to be a famous stage actress, and thinks LA and the movies aren't as classy or worthwhile. However, once she finds out that a movie will be filmed in her town that summer, she makes it her goal to get a part, even if it is just as an extra. She goes to extraordinary lengths, including getting a job as a maid in the hotel where the cast & crew are staying so she can talk to them into giving her a part.

Lola is very persistent and she doesnt' really listen to anyone. She is very witty and readers will be easily amused by her antics.

Raiders Night ****

Lipsyte, Robert. Raiders Night. 2006.

I was excited to see this book from the author of great books like The Contender. This novels surrounds a football team during the season. Matt and many of the players take steroids. In fact, Matt takes other drugs, too, including Vicodin for pain and Ambien to sleep. Matt faces a lot of pressure from home because his father pushes him really hard in athletics. He cheats on his girlfriend and starts to see another girl.

Problems begin for the football team when a new kid moves to town and thinks he is going to make Varsity. The Captain, Rush, feels threatened. At the final night of the pre-season camp, Rush takes the initiation of new players too far by shoving a plastic bat up the new kid's butt, causing him to bleed, and the urinating in his mouth. The seniors keep the mouths shut about the incident but the team really starts to fall apart and the players know it isn't right to keep quiet, especially when Chris stops coming to school and practice. Finally, things come to a head and the boys have to decide what a real Raider would do.

This was a great novel for fans of sports novels. Any student interested in football would enjoy this book a lot. The book felt realistic and as if this story could happen in any HS in America. Highly recommended.

Miracle's Boys ****

Woodson, Jacqueline. Miracle's Boys. 2000.

I decided to re-read this book after enjoying the first time I read it, right after it was first published. This is probably more of a middle school title, but I believe it is also appropriate for YAs.

Told from the perspective of the youngest son, Lafayette, he details life after his parents have died, leaving him and his three brothers alone. The older brother, Ty'ree, gave up his plans of going to college to take care of his brothers. The middle brother, Charlie, has been in juvenile detention for two years and has just gotten out. He blames Lafayette for the death even though it isn't his fault. Charlie gets involved with Aaron, a young gang member, and it seems that he is on the brink of breaking his probation and being sent to prison for good.

This book would be appropriate for middle and high school students. It might be of particular interest to students living in an urban environment.

Tenderness ****

Cormier, Robert. Tenderness. 1997.

I always describe this book as "a serial killer novel" which I think is pretty accurate. It follows three different characters. The first is Eric Poole. Eric was in juvenile detention for killing his mother and father. Before that, he had killed three young girls, but the police have been unable to link him to the murders. Now, he is about to be released and he is currently fixated on one of the female inmates who is also about to be released. Another character is the Police officer that is desperate to catch him killing someone else, as he knows he is a serial killer and will try it again. The final character is Lori. She has run away from home and has become obsessed with Eric. All she wants to do is be near him and kiss him.

We can tell right from the beginning that Lori is going to be with Eric and we just know he is going to try to kill her. This gives the reader a lot of suspense and really keeps the reader interested. Readers who enjoy suspense will enjoy this book tremendously.

How to Be Popular ****

Cabot, Meg. How to Be Popular 2006.

Fans off Cabot's Princess Diaries series will also enjoy this book. The narrator, Steph Landry, is in love with Mark, the HS quarterback and class President. She realizes that she needs to become popular to get him to like her. She finds an old book in the attic that teaches the reader to be popular. She follows the guidelines and does, in fact, get into the popular crowd. Things go awry (obviously, or there wouldn't be a point to the book!). Mark's girlfriend Lauren doesn't take kindly to Mark's attentions toward Steph and starts sending her hate email. At the same time, Steph's friend Becca is in love with their mutual friend Jason, and keeps begging Steph to find out if he likes her.

This was a really cute book. The main character is less neurotic than Princess Mia, but she is still pretty funny. Recommended for anyone that enjoys some great chic lit.

Copper Sun *****

Draper, Sharon. Copper Sun. 2006.

I have enjoyed other works by this author such as Forged by Fire, Darkness Before Dawn, Romiette and Julio and so on. I don't think I have read anything by this author I have disliked. When I saw she had a new book out and that it had received a starred review in School Library Journal, I was excited to get my hands on a copy. I put it on reserve at my public library at the beginning of summer and it just now came in. So, either someone had it for a really long time, or it has been popular!

This book is about the slave experience in the late 1700s. Amari is 15 and is living a happy life in Africa until her entire village is destroyed by white men and the neighboring Ashanti. All of the older people are killed and the younger ones are marched to the coast where they are shipped off to the American colonies. She arrives in America and is sold to Derby Farms where she has a master that is worse than most. She is really the birthday present for the 16 year old son, and he uses her for sex. In between section about Amari are sections about Polly, a white girl that comes to the farm at the same time as an indentured servant. Her indenture is 14 years but she thinks at the end of it, she will become a lady. She hates slaves and thinks she is far better than them even though she works side by side with them and have to also live in slave quarters.

This was a great account of life as a slave and the desire to be free. Unlike many, Amari's spirit was never broken and she yearned to be free and fight for it. This account was interesting in that it not only looked at Amari's experience but it also looked at Polly's perspective too, in turn, so that readers could get a feeling for what white people thought of the slaves, not just what it was like to be a slave. This was a very well written novel and I recommend it for all readers. It is not only a moving book, but readers will also learn something, which is always nice bonus.

How I Live Now ****

Rosoff, Meg. How I Live Now. 2004.

This was a well written book about a girl, Daisy, that decides to get away from her father and evil step mother by going to stay with her aunt and her children in England. She is immediately accepted into the family. She begins to have a mental connection with Edmond, her cousin, and can read his mind and vice versa. They begin to have a physical relationship. Then Aunt Penn goes off to Oslo for a business trip and the war begins. Aunt Penn is stranded in Norway and the children are left alone. Eventually, their house is taken over by the army. Daisy is sent with Piper to live in the county while the others are sent to another farm, far away.

The story is about survival and love. While I enjoyed the book, there is a major ewww factor here because she not only falls in love with her cousin, but she has sex with him many times. I felt that was odd and sort of inappropriate, especially since no one else in the book seemed to have a problem with it either. But, other than that, it was a great novel and certainly well worth reading. It also won the Printz Award, so you know it has to be good!

How I Paid for College *****

Acito, Marc. How I Paid for College: A Novel of Sex, Theft, Friendship, and Musical Theatre. 2004.

This is an adult book appropriate for YAs. It received a lot of acclaim, including being voted one of the Top 10 Novels for Teens by students for the American Library Association.

This novel takes place in the 1980s. Not only is it the 80s, but Edward and his friends are theatre kids, so they are somewhat, uhm, theatric. Anyway, Edward's dream is to attend Julliard and become an actor. After his father suddenly marries someone, he changes his mind and says he will only pay for college if Edward will major in business. Majoring in business is the worst thing Edward can think of. Luckily, he has a year to raise the $10,000 he needs to pay for freshman year. He resorts to working, stealing, and blackmail. Meanwhile, his group of friends are coming of age and experimenting with sex.

Highly recommended for anyone looking for a funny book, because this one is hilarious. The protagonist is hysterical and his outlook on things will leave you in stitches. One of the blurbs on the back of the book stated it would be a great graduation present, and I have to agree with that. It's a great book for any senior, really, as they go through the struggles of applying for, and figuring out how they are going to pay for, college.

Born to Rock ****

Korman, Gordon. Born to Rock 2006.

This is a great novel that will probably appeal most to boys.

Leo is a bit of a stuffed shirt and he is the President of the Young Republicans at school. He is headed to Harvard in the Fall on a scholarship, but due to a misundestanding, he is accused to cheating on a test. He is still able to go to school there but he has lost his scholarship. Without the scholarship, he simply can't afford to go.

Then Leo figures out a way to go to school. He has always known the name of his biological father, but he didn't realize that his father was a famous (and rich!) punk artist from the 80s. The inlikely happens and Marion X Murphy a.k.a. King Maggot invites Leo along on their summer tour as a roadie. Along the way there is some behind the scenes stuff including sex and drugs and backstabbing while Leo tries to get to know his father and then finagle $40,000 out of him.

Male readers will enjoy the story because of the whole subplot of following the band around all summer. Highly recommended.

Secrets of my Hollywood Life ****

Calonita, Jen. Secrets of My Hollywood Life. 2006.

This was frivolous chic lit, but so entertaining. Kaitlin is a big teenage star on a night-time soap opera. One of her co-stars hates her and is trying to sabotage her. She is totally stressed out and needs to relax, but her manger (her mother) and her agent are on her to work work work on her hiatus. She decides she wants to know what real life is like for normal teens, so she dresses in disguise and enrolls in a private school where her friend Liz goes to school. We all know that things are going to go awry, and they certainly do.

This book was very entertaining and enjoyable. I highly recommend it to female fans of chic lit. I also love the cover design--it looks like a Louis Vuitton journal--very cool. Highly recommended.

Lost and Found ****

Parkhurst, Carolyn. Lost and Found. 2006.

This is an adult book appropriate for YAs.

Do you enjoy reality tv? If so, you will love this book. This book follows the characters in a scavenger hunt around the world called Lost and Found. The chapters alternate between some of the characters so the reader gets inside a lot of the characters, not just one. Some of the characeters include a mother and daughter trying to mend their battered relationship, two former child stars trying to become stars again, and two formerly gay people that have found Jesus and are no longer gay, or so they claim. Reading this book is like watching a reality show. There is a lot of drama and comedy to keep readers interested and wondering what will happen next.

An Abundance of Katherines **** 1/2

Green, John. An Abundance of Katherines. 2006.

Ah, the joy of advanced reader copies. I have a small collection of ARCs from Penguin Putnam and will be reviewing them here, before they are published. Yippee!! This book should be available in September. If Amazon.com is to be trusted, September 21 to be exact.

Anyway, John Green's first novel, Looking for Alaska was awesome (see review on this blog, 12/16/05). It received starred reviews and then went on to win the Printz Award this January. I am always scared that a second book by an author will disappoint, probably because so many of them do. This one certainly d0esn't disappoint. It is totally different than Alaska, but it is still fabulous.

Colin is really too smart for his own good. He is a washed up child prodigy. He is also socially awkward-- the kid that everyone thinks is weird because he is fascinated with the most boring of topics. He has just been dumped by his 19th girlfriend, all of whom were named Katherine. Colin, who has just graduated high school, sets off on a road trip with his only friend Hassan. They don't really get very far. They take a side-trip to see the grave of Archduke Ferdinand in Gunshot, Tennessee and end up staying after the befriend a local teen that gives the tours at the grave. As he is still trying to get over his most recent dumping by a Katherine, Colin begins to think that there is a mathematical equation he can create that would predict how long a relationship will last, and he uses his experiences with the Katherines to figure it all out.

Don't let the math scare you away. After the first few chapters I got scared because, frankly I am a math moron, and I was afraid I wasn't going to "get it" if I continued on. The math is a small part of the book and you don't need to really understand it to follow the book. The book isn't about math anyway-- it's about Colin and Hassan and growing up. I highly recommend this book to all readers. And, if you haven't read Looking for Alaska yet, you need to read that one too, because both of these books are fantastic.

You can visit the author's web page and blog at http://www.sparksflyup.com

Speak ****1/2

Anderson, Laurie Halse. Speak. 1999.

I loved this book so much the first time I read it that I decided to read it again.

At the beginning of the novel, we aren't sure what happened, but something happened to Melinda at a party just before school starts. She called 911 at a party which caused the cops to break it up. Now everyone hates her and none of her friends will talk to her. She has a hard time adjusting to school. Her grades start to slip and she starts cutting class and school. Her parents are distant and don't pay much attention to her at all. She makes a friend with a new girl, but she soon dumps her when she gets accepted into a new group in school. Her only bright spot in life is art class with Mr. Freeman.

This is an awesome book. Told from the first person point of view, we feel like we are inside Melinda's head. Everything unfolds in such a wonderful way. Melinda is smart and observant. She is a great character and the reader will want the best for her and for the pain to go away.

Fans of the book should also seek out the movie by the same name. It sometimes appears on various cable channels including Lifetime. Anderson has also written other great titles worth looking for such as Fever 1793 and Prom (also reviewed on this blog earlier this year).

Just Listen *****

Dessen, Sarah. Just Listen. 2006.

LOVED IT. LOVED IT. LOVED IT. Of course, I have loved everything Sarah Dessen has written so far.

After an incident at a party, Annabel's best friend Sophie dumps her and turns the whole school against her. Now that school has started up, she sits alone at lunch but eventually strikes up a friendship with a guy at school that was previously arrested for anger problems and has just returned to school. She also has a hard time telling the truth because she doesn't want to hurt people. She continues modeling even though she doesn't want to because she is afraid to hurt her mother's feelings. She is afraid to tell her family about what happened at the party because it will upset them all, and she doesn't want to take the spotlight off her sister Whitney who is suffering from an eating disorder. Her friendship with Owen starts to help her see that all of the lying and covering up of her feelings is really just hurting her.

I highly recommend this book. While she is flawed, Annabel is very likable and sympathetic. The reader will hope that she resolves her problems and that her family will stay intact. Highly recommended for all female readers. This book is rather long, but well worth the time. Readers should also go back and read her previous novels as they are also gems!

The Book Thief *****

Zusak, Markus. The Book Thief. 2006.

This book received a starred review in School Library Journal and does deserve this distiction.

This book is narrated by Death. The story takes place in Nazi Germany. Leisel is essentially abandoned by her mother, and lives with foster family near Munich. She is taken care of by them, but she does miss her mother. She learns to love books even though she doesn't have any. She begins her life of crime so that she can steal books so she has something to read. Leisel's family is not a member of the Nazi party. They even hide a Jew in their basement, and he is never detected by some miracle. Essentially, this story is about WWII and the struggles everyone endured during that time.

This was a very long book-- over 500 pages. There is a signifant time committment here, but it is totally worth it. The story is compelling, and even though we all know about WWII, it is still interesting to hear about one individual's experiences.My only quibble with this book, much like I am the Messenger is that they aren't YA books. They are certainly appropriate for YAs, but they are definitely not YA books. They are most definitely adult books. But, whatever. Highly recommended for advanced YA readers interested in WWII or historical fiction.

Endgame **** 1/2

Garden, Nancy. Endgame. 2006.

This book received a starred review in School Library Journal, so I had to read it, of course! When I realized it was a school shooting novel, I sort of sighed, because that is the trend now, to do novels about a school shooting. Something can be learned from reading these books, though.

Gray and his family have just moved to a new town. The reason was pretty much because of Gray. He had been getting into trouble at his previous school and was suspended twice for bringing weapons in to school. He was bullied mercilessly, and he didn't know what else to do. He wants things to be new at this new school, but things go downhill quickly.

Peter, Gray's older brother is the super kid, and his parents seem to favor him, particularly his father. The father doesn't even like Gray and doesn't take an interest in him and his activities at all. He does make a friend at school, Ross. Immediately, a popular jock Zorro decides to torture Gray and Ross. They can't get through a day without being harassed, beaten up, and worse. Teachers turn a blind eye and other students do nothing to help. Finally, Gray takes him father's gun in to school to get revenge against Zorro, but others get in the way of the crossfire. Now he is in the juvenile detention center on trial for murder and attempted murder.

This was a great novel. If only a few kids in each school would read this, it could make life better for even just one kid. It will hopefully encourage kids to come forward and defend those that are being teased, or to go to authorities for help before things get to this point. If the reader is like Gray, it will convince them that revenge like this isn't the way to go about things, and that getting help is important. This is a great choice for any reader.

The New Rules of High School ***1/2

Nelson, Blake. The New Rules of High School. 2003.

This book was just OK. The main character, Max, is wound so tight, he's lucky doesn't explode. He decides to break up with his girlfriend Cindi for no real reason, which leaves him really sad. He is the new editor-in-chief of the school paper, and this gives him added stress. Then this girl Lydia starts to obsess over him, and sort of stalk him. He is totally stressed and, eventually, starts to unravel.

The problem I have with this book is that things don't seem to come together right. He doesn't like Lydia, and she is really crazy, yet he begins to strike up a friendship with her. His friends start getting into fights for no apparent reason. He also seems to be in total control and starts to lose it inexplicably toward the end. He should have been showing signs of losing it all along; perhaps I just missed it, I don't know. And then there is the annoying way he talks about people, often using their last names for no reason whatsoever. He would refer to his friend Bob as "Bob Hollins" all the time. It was annoying after awhile. It's not like there were multiple Bobs in the book.

This wasn't a bad book, but it wasn't great either. Read something else. I much prefered Rock Star SuperStar by this author.

A Bad Boy Can Be Good for a Girl *****

Stone, Tanya Lee. A Bad Boy Can Be Good for a Girl. 2006.

This is another novel told in verse, so if you aren't a fan, stop reading now.

This story follows three girls that all get taken in by the same guy. He is charismatic and all of the girls get taken in. First, we hear from Josie. She is a Freshman and the reason he dumps her after awhile is because she refuses to sleep with him. She is a reader and the situation makes her think of the book Forever by Judy Blume. She takes the school's copy and writes a warning to all of the girls in the school. She then tells everyone, including his new conquest, to go read the book. He proceeds to use two more girls, Nicolette and Aviva.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I think it sends a good message-- beware of who you fall for. Ultimately, all of these girls learn a lot from their experience of falling for a bad boy. I can bet that none of the three girls in the story would ever fall for another guy like him again. This is highly recommended for high school girls-- I think they will learn something from it. There are a few sex scenes, but they are not at all graphic. I thought I would mention that since some people are sensitive to that. Go read this book now!

Sleeping Freshmen Never Lie *****

Lubar, David. Sleeping Freshmen Never Lie. 2005.

This was a great book. Told from the first person point of view, Scott details his first year of high school. He finds himself in all college prep/honors courses while his three best friends end up someplace else. The inevitable happens-- as the year progresses, he loses his friends. He can't seem to shake Mouth, this dorky kid on his bus stop that doesn't know how and when to shut up. He is in love with Julia, but she doesn't know he exists. Oh, and his mother is pregnant.

Scott tries to join a bunch of clubs and activities so that he can have an excuse to be around Julia, who starts to date the football quarterback. He joins the school paper to be around her, but he ends up having to write the sports columns even though he is the least athletic person he knows. He befriends a new girl at school who is a little weird.

Scott has a great sense of humor. He tells us about his Freshman year with honesty and wit. He also puts in letters to his unborn brother throughout, giving him tips on navigating through life. Very funny and well written. Recommended for all readers, including reluctant readers.

Sloppy Firsts *****

McCafferty, Megan. Sloppy Firsts. 2001.

I am so glad I read this book again. I decided to read it again after that Harvard chic plagiarized from it.

This is great YA lit. It is not only entertaining but it is intelligent. Jessica is a smart honor student. In her diary entries, she details her life after her best friend Hope moves away and she is left hanging out with the rest of her friends, whom she has discovered that she doesn't really like.

She is in love with Pau, who has no idea she exists. Her best male friend Scott wants more, but she doesn't. She starts an odd friendship with Marcus, a burn-out. Her sister is getting married. Her mother doesn't seem to like her very much. Her father only cares about her when she is doing well at track. She misses Hope and hates her friends. A new girl, Hy, moves to town and becomes friends with Jessica and her friends. Jessica hopes Hy might replace Hope, but then she feels sorry for trying to replace Hope. Then Hy backs off and disappears altogether.

Each diary entry is witty and wonderful. I was so sad to see the book end because I love this character and wanted to see what comes next. I recommend this book to every teen girl out there. I can't see any reader being disappointed.

Luckily, there are 2 sequels to this wonderful book. Sadly, some kid has the sequel checked out (darn it!) and I haven't bought the third book yet. I have to get on that right away!

How Opal Mehta Got Kissed, Got Wild, and Got a Life / Unrated with Rant

Viswanathan, Kaavya. How Opal Mehta Got Kissed, Got Wild, and Got a Life. 2006.

Opal's dream has been to go to Harvard. Everything she has done has been to get into Harvard, which includes joining a million clubs, doing community service, and taking all AP classes. She goes on her Harvard early decision interview and she doesn't know what to say when the interviewer asks her what she likes to do for fun. He tells her basically to get a life and reapply for regular admissions.

Like she does with everything else, she decides to get a life, if that's what it takes to get into Harvard. Her parents also get involved, buying her every fashion magazine available, renting all of the latest videos, TiVoing hit TV shows, getting her a new haircut, make-up, etc. Her parents go so far as to go away and let her have a kegger in her house. As we already know from the beginning, she is going to get popular, get kissed, and get wild, but she isn't going to like it, and eventually it will go awry. And it does.

Can I recommend this book? No. Why? After it was plagiarized, it was discovered by some astute readers that it was, in fact, plagiarized. There are entire sections taken directly from Sloppy Firsts by Megan McCafferty. Some sections are copied word-for-word and in some places the words are changed a little. Her works also mirror the works of other authors such as Meg Cabot although no side-by-side comparisons have been made with any other authors. The book was subsequently pulled from all bookstores. The publisher had said that they were going to revise the book and re-release it, but they have since changed their mind on that.

The author wasn't helping her case when she first claimed she had never even read the work of McCafferty. Then in another interview she claimed the book moved her so much that she must have internalized certain passages and that was why she ended up using them in her book. Huh? I read a lot, but I have never memorized entire sentences or sections of a book! And, if I did, I would think I would have remembered that I had.

This girl, a sophomore at Harvard, is now a bit of a disgrace. If her goal was to be an author, she blew it. She will never be able to publish anything anywhere again. No place would take the risk of plagiarism lawsuits. Right now she is lucky that Megan McCafferty has said she doesn't plan to sue. The publisher will probably take away her advance. I hope she didn't spend it!

If you want to read this book, you will have to get it used on Amazon since bookstores have pulled it. Some libraries still have it, although I am sure they will pull the books from their collections too, once they get returned. I only read it to see the comparison between the books. While I enjoyed the book, it is tarnished from this scandal. I think HS seniors going through the application process would enjoy the book because it is amusing, but it is hard to get past the plagiarism thing.

Moon Over Manhattan **

King, Larry and Thomas H. Cook. Moon Over Manhattan: A Novel of Mystery and Mayhem. New York: Plume 2004.

This is an adult book appropriate for YAs.

I didn't like this book one bit. There were some funny parts, but there wasn't enough good stuff to override the fact that this book had no point really.

Allison Vandemeer is the daughter of Arthur, a popular TV talk show host that is very liberal. She is dating Goonie, a poor, uneducated Hispanic boy with the IQ of a flee. She isn't into him that much but she wants to use him. She needs him to get her rather to let her go to film school at UCLA. She decides to write a fake note about eloping with Goonie to get her father upset. She figures after she comes home in a few days, he will be so happy she is home and not married to Goonie, that he will let her go to UCLA to get her away from Goonie. Anyway, things don't go right and mayhem ensues.

The story takes place in NYC. The characters are all varied. Some are interesting but none are really sympathetic characters-- they are all majorly flawed people with few redeeming qualities. I didn't really care what happened to any of them. At the end I thought to myself, "So what?" To sum up, don't read this book. Whomever reviewed this in SLJ and told school librarians to buy this is crazy. I can't imagine high school students reading this book at all.

Soldier's Heart ****

Paulsen, Gary. Soldier's Heart: The Story of the Enlistment and Due Service of the Boy Charley Goddard in the First Minnesotta Volunteers: A Novel of the Civil War. 1998.

This book should be popular for anyone looking for a short book. While the intended audience is middle school, a high school student interested in the subject matter would also enjoy it.

Charley joins up in the Civil War despite the fact that he is only 15. He is trained and shipped out to War. He sees many battles and amazingly manages to stay alive. The novel focuses on particular battles such as Bull Run and Gettysburg and explains them pretty well. After reading the novel, the reader should have a better understanding of the Civil War and what it was like to be in battle.

I recommend this book to anyone that enjoys historical fiction, particularly war stories. While many historical novels about war detail life at home, this one tells what life was like for the soldier fighting the war. While there is a good bit of death, the deaths are dealt with without any gory detail so readers will not feel uncomfortable reading it.

At First Sight ****

Sparks, Nicholas. At First Sight. New York: Warner, 2005.

This is an adult book appropriate for YAs.

Jeremy lives in NYC and makes his living writing a column for Scientific American and various other freelance jobs. He meets Lexie while researching one of his articles. He falls in love with her at first sight. Crazily, he proposes to her within weeks. He gives up his life in NY and moves to rural North Carolina to be with her. They buy a house and plans for their life together. She is also pregnant, but they had fallen in love before that. Their relationship is somewhat rocky before they walk down the aisle, fraught with misunderstandings and silly arguments. You wonder if they will ever make it down the aisle.

In typical Sparks fashion, the book will lead you to inevitable tears. For anyone unfamiliar with Sparks, his books are basically emotional romance novels. Sparks isn't for everyone. Only those that like romance and emotional books should bother with this one.

The Perfect Shot ****1/2

Alphin, Elaine Marie. The Perfect Shot. Minneapolis: CarolRhoda, 2005.

This is a great book for lovers of mystery and suspense.

The previous year, Brian's girlfriend, Amanda, her brother, and mother are all shot to death in their garage. At the time, Brian is in the cul-de-sac playing basketball but didn't see anything. Now, a year later, her father is on trial for their murder, but Brian isn't convinced he did it as he recalls something that did happen that day that might prove his innocence.

Meanwhile, Brian is in the middle of a basketball season. His friend Julius is arrested and roughed up by the cops after getting lost in a white neighborhood. All of the basketball players are also paired up with people in history class to learn about certain events in history and give a presentation on whether or not we have learned from history. Brian has to work with dorky Todd who ends up being a good partner. They have to research a trial of a man wrongfully convicted of murder and report on whether or not we have learned from faulty police investigation and prosectution.

It is somewhat hard to believe that all of these events happen to be be occurring at the same time-- the trial, the assignment, and Julius' wrongful arrest. Still, without all of these coincidences, there wouldn't be a novel! I recommend this novel to anyone that enjoys suspense and mystery stories. This is a long book so a casual reader would probably not want to read it. Also, while there is basketball theme, this isn't a basketball novel, so fans of sports fiction may not like it. There isn't much court action going on here.

Double Helix ****1/2

Werlin, Nancy. Double Helix. New York: Dial, 2004.

This book received a starred review in SLJ. I have to agree that this was quite a good book. I have to say, however, that I was expecting something different. Because of the title and cover, I expected a medical/scientific type thriller. While it was, I wasn't expecting as much characterization. The book goes into the characters' emotions and motivations. The story was less about genetics and more about the characters.

Eli lives with his father in Cambridge. He is about the graduate HS but is putting off college for a year, despite being salutatorian. He has a strained relationship with his father. His mother is in a nursing home with Huntington's Disease and is dying. He has been dating Viv for a year, yet she has never met his father and has no idea his mother is dying. Eli gets a job working at a lab with the mysterious Dr. Wyatt, who has a connection with his family, but he doesn't know what that is. Eli's father begs him to not work there, but refuses to tell him why he doesn't want him around this Dr. Wyatt.

Things come to a head all at once. Eli breaks up with Viv and his relationship with his father becomes even more strained. Eli starts to put pieces together after his mother dies which leads to him trying to figure out what the mystery is at the lab that it is clear his father and Dr. Wyatt are both trying to hide.

Highly recommended to fans of suspense and science/medical themed fiction.

Heroes ****

Cormier, Robert. Heroes. New York: Laurel Leaf, 1998.

I enjoyed this book when I first read it, so I decided to read it again to refresh my memory of the plot and characters. This book alternates between the present and the past. In the present, Francis is a veteran, just returning from WWII. He had stepped on a grenade and blown much of his face off; therefore, he must wear a scarf and this leaves him unrecognizable. His goal is to get revenge on Larry LaSalle, who raped the girl he loved before also shipping off to War. In the past, we see Francis meeting and falling in love with Nicole. The neighborhood Rec center opens with Larry as the head, teaching the guiding the youth of the community. And, then, Larry raping Nicole one night while home on leave from the Army.

You have to feel sorry for Francis. His parents are dead. He never got the girl he was in love with, and he didn't reall y have much in the way of self esteem and friends. He comes home to see Nicole and she and her family has disappeared. He doesn't have a face. It's all very sad. The novel is gripping and you really get inside Francis' head. This novel is also short, so it might be a good choice for a reluctant reader although it should be noted that this novel is less plot-driven and more character-driven, so it might turn some reluctant readers off. Overall, a good choice for all readers.

Push ****1/2

Sapphire. Push. New York: Vintage, 1996.

This is an adult book, and isn't for the squeemish. Those that are offended by strong language and those that may feel uncomfortable reading about incest should avoid this book. It's not for everyone.

Precious is a 16 year-old living in Harlem. She is pregnant with her second child. Her first child was born when she was just 12 and has Down's Syndrome. Both children are the product of an incestuous relationship between Precious and her father, who has been raping her. Precious likes school and learning, but she is illiterate. A caring administrator at her school gets her into an alternative school where she is able to learn and eventually get into the GED program. After the birth of her baby, Precious must leave her home after her mother tries to kill her. This leaves her without housing. Despite her problems, she still aims to keep up her education.

This book is told from the perspective of Precious. As the book progresses, her spelling and grammar improves. She goes from spelling phonetically and leaving out many vowels to being able to spell far better; not perfect, but far better.

Precious, due to her background I suppose, does use a lot of coarse language (that's a nice way of saying she curses a lot!). However, the language is true to how such a girl would speak. In fact, she probably doesn't even realize that many of the words are even considered curses since she hears this language every day, all day. She is simply speaking the only way she knows how. The language and content may seem objectionable; however, it is necessary to tell the story the way it needs to be told. This is a story about a girl with a hard life, and from a hard place where things aren't "proper". The book shows how hard Precious is willing to work to make herself a better person. It leaves us feeling a sense of hope that even people living in the worst of conditions and situations can thrive and improve themselves.

Wrecked ****1/2

Frank, E.R. Wrecked. New York: Antheneum, 2005.

Another great book from this great author! On her way back from a party, Anna gets into a car accident. She has been drinking hours prior, but was not drunk. Also, the accident wasn't her fault-the other car went over the line and smashed into her car. Anna's best friend Ellen is badly hurt in the accident. Worse, the driver of the other car dies. Even worse yet, the driver happens to have been the girlfriend of Anna's brother, Jack.

No one blames Anna for what happened, including Jack, but that doesn't stop her from blaming herself. She begins to have panic attacks and is no longer able to drive. Her father, who is a bit controlling, doesn't want her daughter in therapy. Eventually, she does go to therapy and starts to learn to handle her panic attacks and get on with her life.

Her father, who could use some therapy himself, starts to change a bit after the accident, but he is still a control freak and a bit of a jerk, which really just adds to Anna's anxiety. The entire family really needs to heel after this incident.

This was a great book about anxiety and post traumatic stress disorder. Anyone that experiences anxiety or knows someone that does would appreciate this book. This is a great choice for most readers, as it is fast paced and enjoyable.

I am the Messenger ****

Zusak, Markus. I am the Messenger. New York: Knopf, 2002/2005. Originally published in Australia in 2002, published in the US in 2005.

I don't know that this book has broad appeal, but it was an interesting book, thus the four stars.

Ed is basically a loser. He graduated high school and is more or less just drifting along with no real goals or aspirations. His friends are all just like him. They play cards and drink for fun (it's legal there to drink under 21!) and have dead end jobs.

One day he gets a playing card and it has three addresses on it. He goes to those addresses and realizes there are things there for him to do. So, he does them. He thinks it is over, but he gets another playing card and has more things to do. This goes on for 3 playing cards, at which point he figures he is done. In each case he has to do something for someone else without giving any thought to himself. Throughout the entire thing, he has no idea who is sending him the cards and why they chose him.

There is also a love interest in the story (isn't there always?). Ed loves his friend Audrey but she is always dating someone else. He thinks she loves him too but she won't let herself love anyone because of a hard childhood. The love story adds another dimention to the plot.

The plot is, of course, ludicrous as this would never happen in a million years. But, it was entertaining nonetheles. It is entertaining to see what he will have to do next, and to see how the experiences make him grow as a person.

The Bad Mother's Handbook ****

Long, Kate. The Bad Mother's Handbook. New York: Ballantine, 2004.

This is an adult book appropriate for YAs.

This is an interesting story, told from the perspective of three related woman. The first, Nan, is old and has dementia. She is always setting things on fire and losing things. The other woman is her adopted daughter, Karen. Karen is stressed out. She works part time at a school, she has to take care of her demented mother, and her teenage daughter is a pain in the butt. Her ex hasn't been involved in her child's life. She is still young, but hasn't really lived life-- she had her daughter Charlotte when she was a teenager. All Karen wants really is a life. Charlotte, her teenage daughter finds herself pregnant and with no boyfriend since he dumped her and has moved on. She finds herself in love with dorky Daniel as the novel progresses. Meanwhile, Karen begins a search for her birth parents.

Overall, this is a good book that would interest most female readers. It is about mothers and daugters and growing up, or growing old. The fact that the book alternates the perspective from one character to another throughout adds to the book so we can see where each character is at all points throughout the books. Great read!

The Schwa was Here *****

Schusterman, Neal. The Schwa was Here. New York: Dutton Children's Books, 2004.

This was a great book. I put off reading this book for so long because I had a bad experience with his last book, Full Tilt, which I do NOT recommend. I disliked that book so much it negated the good feelings I had about the author after reading Downsiders, which I DO recommend.

In this novel, Antsy befriends a kid, Calvin Schwa, who is mostly invisible. Not that he is really invisible, but it seems that no one really sees him most of the time even though he is right there. During a scheme, Antsy and Schwa end up getting caught trying to steal a dog bowl from a local shut in, Crawley. Their punishment involves having to be the man's dog walker for his 14 Afghans. This progress and Crawley decides to switch Antsy's duties to entertaining Crawley's blind granddaugher while she is visiting him for a few months. She ends up falling for Antsy while Schwa ends up falling for her.

Meanwhile, Antsy tries to investigate the disappearance of Schwa's mother. The last he saw her was when he was 5, and she left him abandoned at the grocery store. He also gets involved with the Granddaughter and her plot to try to get her Grandfather out of the apartment.

Antsy is a real funny kid, quite witty and smart. The way he tells his story is entertaining. The story is made more interesting by reading it through his perspective. Even though he isn't the smart kid in his family, he is pretty darn smart. Overall, this is an entertaining read, and is recommended for most readers.

Perfect ****

Friend, Natasha. Perfect. Minneapolis, MN: Milkweed, 2004.

Winner of the Milkweed Prize for Children's Literature.

Isabelle's father died a few years back, and since then the family has been a mess. Her mother is unable to get over it, and still cries herself to sleep. Isabelle's way of coping is to make herself throw up.

She must attend weekly Group sessions with other girls with eating disorders. In the Group is Ashley, a popular girl at school. Isabelle starts to become friends with Ashley, and their get togethers involve binging and purging together. As the story progresses, Isabelle starts to get a handle on herself and she also starts to demand that others do the same.

This was a great book, recommended for girls. I would particularly recommend this book to girls with body image issues. This publisher is a non-profit. Their goal, according to information at the back of the book, is to publish "with the intention of making humane impact on society, in the belief that good writing can transform the human heart and spirit." Their books all have a purpose, and that is certainly something worth supporting!

Grind **?

Walters, Eric. Grind. Custer, WA: Orca, 2004.

I wasn't sure how to determine how many stars to give this book. It isn't a literary masterpiece. There isn't much plot, and there isn't any character development. BUT, that isn't the point of this book. This publisher publishes books geared toward teens that are relutant readers, which would be defined as someone that doesn't like to read. These books are also great for someone that just isn't reading up to their grade level, but still wants to read a book geared toward their age. There are other similar titles by this publisher. I will list them as I get more. These are something that can be recommended to reluctant or struggling readers.

Hit Squad by James Heneghan
Charmed by Carrie Mac
The Troube with Liberty by Kristin Butcher
Fastback Beach vy Shirlee Smith Matheson

Godless **** 1/2

Hautman, Pete. Godless. New York: Simon Pulse, 2004.

This was a great book. My library doesn't have this book (yet!) but I read it because it was recommended to me by a public library children's/YA librarian. I am glad I read it!

Jason is rather charismatic. He could sell snow to Eskimos. His mother is a hypochondriac and his father is very religious, to the point of obsession. His father is always trying to get him to be religious, including making him go to the teen night at their church. He isn't interested in religion, but he goes to be a pain and ask questions the youth pastor can't answer.

Jason, along with his friend Shin, come up with a new religion, one that reveres the town's water tower. Shin takes it quite seriously, while Jason is just doing it because he thinks it is funny. Joining them in their church is the son of a local preacher, the town bully, and a girl from the church youth group, on whom Jason has a major crush. Their goal is to climb the water tower, which they do; they end up prying open a door and actually swimming in it, which they consider their "Baptism". Shin starts to take things too seriously along with a few other members.

This entire book really is all about religion. Jason is really quite anti-religion, so if you are a person that is really religious, his approach may offend you, so I would read something else. Jason is really not an athiest, he is really just in search of what he believes in. He isn't into Christianity, but that is all he has been exposed to, and he doesn't know anything else. This is really about finding who he is, and a part of that includes finding out what he believes in. This is more of a character study than anything, so anyone that is more interested in plot and action might be disappointed; not that this is boring, but the focus here is on the characters and who they are, and how they change.

Looking for Alaska *****

Green, John. Looing for Alaska. New York: Dutton, 2005.

*Winner of the Prinz Award, Announced January 23, 2006*

What a fanastic novel. This is a rare instance where I agree that a book that got a starred review in School Library Journal really does deserve that star!

In this book, Miles opts to go to a boarding school in Alabama during his high school years. His roomate, who is nicknamed the Colonel introduces him to the school and his circle of friends, which include Alaska, Lara, and Takumi. They spend their time sneaking off to smoke, drink, and pull pranks on the school and headmaster. We learn rather quickly that Alaska is somewhat troubled. We also realize that something big is coming.

The book's chapters are arranged by days, such as "40 days before" and so on up until "the incident". We don't get to that until 3/4 of the way through the novel, so we spend a lot of time trying to figure out what exactly happens on Day 0. I can tell you that I didn't see it coming! Then after that, the rest of the novel is told as "3 days after" and so on. This format kept me interested and made me aniticipate the climax of the novel even more.

I highly recommend this novel to most readers. It is a rather "deep" read so readers that prefer fluff will not enjoy this one. Not that there is anything wrong with fluff, but if that is what you are looking for, this isn't it. Highly recommended.

Uglies ****

Westerfeld, Scott. Uglies. New York: Simon Pulse, 2005.

I guess this would be considered speculative fiction. Although this isn't a genre that I enjoy, I have to say that I did enjoy this novel.

This novel takes place in the future. Things have changed. When teens turn 16, they go from being Uglies to Pretties. They go through massive plastic surgery to become what society thinks is pretty. Everyone looks forward to being pretty. That is especially true for Tally who is friendless now that her best friend Peris is now a pretty and living in Pretty Town. She meets Shay, who has run away and doesn't want to be pretty. Shay knows of a place where people run away where people want to say Ugly-- The Smoke. She gives Tally directions to find them if she decides to run away.

Tally ends up being taken by the Special Circustances unit, and she is blackmailed. They won't make her pretty unless she tells then where The Smoke is. She doesn't know, so they give her a necklace with a locket on it. They tell her that once she gets there, she should push the button in the locket. Things are complicated because she doesn't want to betray her friend. She also ends up falling in love with Dave, but Shay is in love with Dave-- he is the reason she ran away to begin with.

I won't go into any more details. There is a lot more going on, but I don't want to give any more away. This is also the first book in a trilogy, so readers will be interested to continue on and read the next two books. Highly recommended for anyone wondering what the future could be like. This is a great mix of speculation and adventure/action.

The Sledding Hill *****

Crutcher, Chris. The Sledding Hill. New York: Greenwillow, 2005.

I want to give Chris a high-five. This entire book is about thumbing his nose at the critics and book banners. There is so much stuff in here that people will find offensive that I imagine it will be banned left and right, even in places where his works were never banned before. Hopefully kids will still go out and buy it because it is so good. I believe he wrote this book in response to all of the school districts that have banned his works. Maybe a book like this will open a dialogue about the freedom to read, and the freedom of sharing ideas. I certainly hope so.

Poor Eddie Profitt finds his father dead and then a few weeks later he finds his best friend dead. This is all within the first few chapters of the book. The dead friend, Billy, narrates the book before he died, and then continues to do so as a spirit. As a spirit, he can be anywhere and know everything that is going on. (the book banners will hate that a spirit is narrating the book!)

Eddie starts high school and is no longer speaking. His holy roller mother wants him to find Jesus, but he has no desire to find him. She starts inviting the Preacher over, Tarter, and they are trying to convince him to be Baptized. Tarter is also a teacher at the school where he has been making students miserable for years. Eddie is in a Modern Lit class with the school librarian, and they all have to read a Chris Crutcher novel, Warren Peece. Well, the religious fundamental people start to try to ban the book. They also control the school board, so the Chris Crutcher books don't stand a chance. Eddie plays a pivotal role in the whole ordeal, but I won't go into any further detail on that. You will have to read about it to see what happens.

I enjoyed this book so much. Whoever heard of an author becoming a character in their own book? It's awesome! I have to say that anyone that is unfamiliar with Crutcher's work will not fully understand where this book is coming from. Crutcher is frequently banned because he writes about real things, real problems, and it is all very true to life. But, people don't like reality sometimes, and they think that reading about something will make a teen go out and do the things they read about. Anyone who has read Crutcher knows that he writes with some curses (where they are appropriate, not gratuitously), and he writes about the way things really are. So anyone that has read his previous novels will understand this book. Certainly others will enjoy this book, too, but fans of Crutcher will get a little added enjoyment from it.

GO READ THIS BOOK NOW.

24 Girls in 7 Days ***

Bradley, Alex. 24 Girls in 7 Days. New York: Alloy, 2005.

Despite the questionable title, I bought this book. Now that I have read it, I am left scratching my head. Who is this book meant for? Let me explain the plot so you can understand what I mean.

First, the main character's name is Jack Grammar. Someone with a last name like that just has to be a total dork. The book opens up with Jack being egged on to ask out a girl to the prom-- the girl he has liked forever. She turns him down. His best friends Percy and Natalie cook up a scheme where they put a personal ad on the online school newspaper for him, looking for a prom date, without his knowledge. This leave Jack with 24 dates in 7 days, the 7 days leading up to prom. He hates the idea once he finds out about it, and he gets really angry. Adding to the confusion are the email from FancyPants, who seems to be his real soul-mate, but she isn't interested in being his prom date or even meeting with him. Of course, he has some real bad dates and stuff, and in the end he has to pick a date.

So this leaves me wondering--who wants to read this book? It is about a guy-- but what guy wants to read about a total tool who can't get a prom date? While it is pretty funny, yes, there aren't that many guys that want to read about the subject matter. So, this leaves me with the girls. I know girls will read books with main characters that are guys, so this book does have an audience. I would recommend it to anyone that enjoys funny books, or books about proms.

Prom ****

Anderson, Laurie Halse. Prom. New York: Viking, 2005.

I enjoyed this book quite a bit. A few weeks before the prom, the senior prom committee discovers that the prom advisor has gone off and stolen the prom money. Left with no money, it seems as if they aren't going to have a prom at all. Ashley couldn't care less since she has no interest in the prom and wasn't planning on going anyway. But, it is important to her best friend and some of her other friends. She jumps in to help her friends try to save prom.

Meanwhile, she has a lot of family drama going on. Her mother is VERY pregnant, and her father is always working on a home-improvement project that takes forever. Ashley wants to marry her boyfriend, who we see as a total loser, but she thinks is fabulous. She has no plans to go to college, and doesn't really know what she wants to do with her life. She is somewhat aimless in life and not sure where she wants to go in life.

The prom helps her focus and do something important for once. Obviously, the prom does happen (duh-- we know the book has to have some sort of happy ending.) The part of her journey through those weeks is what is interesting. The story isn't about the prom-- it is about Ashley growing up and finding direction in her life. Highly recommended to girls crazy about prom!

Invisible ****

Hautman, Pete. Invisible. New York: Simon & Schuster, 2005.

Doug is weird. He lives next door to his best friend is Andy, who lives next door. They grew up together and they talk to each other every night from their bedroom windows. Andy has become popular-- in the plays and the football quarterback, but Doug hasn't. He gets beat up and people think he is weird.

Doug has a lot of repetitive thoughts. He gets stuck on an idea and can't get off of them. He is also obsessed with railroads and trains. He is building a whole town out of matchsticks in the basement, with the tips rubbed off. He spends hours working on it. As the novel progresses, we start to understand that Andy isn't just a little strange; he is mentally ill. Because the novel is told in the first person point of view, we don't realize how ill until the novel almost comes to its conclusion.

I recommend this novel to anyone interested in reading a book about mentally ill people, particularly when the novel is told from the perspective of the mentally ill person. This novel reminds me a bit of The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nite-Time, in that the affected person tells the story, so we aren't sure what is going on in their head and what is really going on. Highly recommended for anyone interested in the subject matter as well as anyone interested in stories that are a bit of a mystery, until all of the details are given at the end of the novel.

Shrimp ****

Cohn, Rachel. Shrimp. New York: Simon & Schuster, 2005.

This is the sequel to Gingerbread. It isn't necessary to read Gingerbread to read this one, although it would make it more enjoyable. Reading the first book will help the reader understand the whole journey Cyd has been on.

The previous summer, Cyd went to NYC to meet her biological father and her half-brother and -sister. Now she is back, and looking to hook up with her ex-boyfriend Shrimp. She can't find him, but she befriends a girl from her school, Helen. She also ends up befriending Autumn, who hooked up with Shrimp while Cyd was away. She has never really had friends before, but she ends up liking it. When Shrimp comes back, he only wants to be friends with Cyd, at least for now. Meanwhile, Cyd's parents get on her about filling out college applications, but she has no interest in going to college.

Fans of Gingerbread will enjoy seeing how Cyd grows after Gingerbread ends. I recommend readers read Gingerbread and Shrimp if they are interested in reading about smart, quirky characters.

This Must Be Love **

Sutherland, Tui T. This Must Be Love. New York: Harper Collins, 2004.

I can tell you one thing that was NOT love-- my feelings for this book. Yuck. It took me 2 weeks to read it. I could only read 20-25 pages at a time. This novel is based upon A Midsummer Night's Dream by Shakespeare. The main female characters are Helena and Hermia. The story pretty much follows the plot of Midsummer, only in modern times. To add something interesting to the story, the play within the play is the school production of Romeo & Juliet. It is an all male cast, just like in Shakespeare's time. Hermia and Helena are involved with the production as is their male love interests.

This book is told in various ways. It is told in emails, notes to each other, and diary entries. While I usually enjoy books like this, particularly books where the reader gets multiple persepectives, I didn't enjoy this one. The characters were really quite annoying. Hermia would sign her notes to Helena with things like "cartwheels, pinwheels, waterwheels, Hermia". Huh? There wans't anything in the entire note about wheels, water, or anything. It was just annoying.

I would recommend this to anyone that likes Shakespeare, since they might enjoy the parallels between this books and the play upon which it is based. Anyone who likes sappy boosk with overly dramatic characters might also enjoy this one. But, most readers won't like it at all.

Who's Your Daddy? ****

Sandoval, Lynda. Who's Your Daddy? New York: Simon Pulse, 2004.

This was pure chick lit, but it was fun and entertaining. Lila and her friends Caressa and Meryl are part of the "Who's Your Daddy" club because all of their fathers have shaped who they are. Lila's father is the chief of police. Caressa's is a famous blues musician. Meryl's father is the school's disciplinarian and football coach. Because of their fathers, it scares off most guys they are interested in.

The three friends want boyfriends. They have a "Dumb Supper" which is a ritualistic meal that tells you who will be your true love. Things go awry. Lila gets into a little trouble, and her father makes her join the student Police Squad, which Lila calls the Junior Narcs. Caressa decides she is meant to be with a young musician, and writes him a letter saying her father wants to produce his next album. Meryl falls in love with a new student from Bosnia who is not interested in dating her because she isn't American enough-- Meryl's family doesn't have a TV and they don't watch movies.

The year progresses with many funny situations. Most chapters are told from the perspective of Lila, although some chapters alternate between Caressa and Meryl as well. There are no major issues here, just good fun reading about these three girls and their experiences throughout the year. The ending is really predictable, but readers won't care because the writing is so funny that they will be entertained regardless.

Cruise Control ****

Trueman, Terry. Cruise Control. New York: Harper, 2004.

This is a companion novel to Trueman's Stuck in Neutral. In Stuck..., Shawn is a regular boy, stuck inside his body that won't cooperate with him. He is intelligent and is able to think, but he is unable to communicate in any way. He has frequent seizures. He becomes convinced his father is trying to kill him.

In this novel, we get the perspective of Paul, Shawn's older brother. Shawn is a straight-A student, but he has problems with anger. He beats people up at the drop of a hat. He also hates his father, a Pulitzer-prize winning poet that abandoned him, his mother, sister, and Shawn, leaving them all to deal with Shawn without him. Shawn can't resolve his anger with his father so he takes his anger out on others. Shawn's dream is to get a basketball scholarship, but he feels that even if he gets one, he won't be able to leave his family. Shawn stuggles through growing up and what to do with his future, while also strggling with his love/hate he feels for his father and the pure hate he has for his father.

It isn't necessary to read Stuck in Neutral to read this book as it stands all on its own. Reading both, however, would be a better experience, to see what Shawn and Paul are thinking and feeling. Both books are short and easy to read. Most readers will enjoy this book.

Jude *****

Morgenroth, Kate. Jude. New York: Simon & Schuster, 2004.

While this books is supposed to be a young adult novel, it reads more like an adult book with a teenage character. Not that it matters as this book is fantastic. It had me on the edge of my seat, so to speak, from beginning to end.

Jude grows up with his father, who is an abusive drug dealer. He has always moved from place to place, but has been living in a Hartford slum for the last 2 years. His father is killed in their home while Jude looks on. He has to promise to never tell who it was, or they will kill him too. The detectives find some paperwork that indicates that Jude was kidnapped by his father when he was just three months old. He had always thought he was abandoned by his mother. It also turns out that his mother is DA for West Hartford.

Jude has a hard time fitting in with his mother and her boyfriend Harry. He also has problems at his new private school. He is asked to help some kids find drugs. While he doesn't sell drugs himself, he connects the kids with some people in his old neighborhood. Detectives, who are still trying to get him for his father's murder, see him with these known drug dealers.

Harry convinces Jude it would be a good idea to get caught selling drugs. His mother is running for mayor and looking tough on crime and drugs would help her case. Harry and Jude set up an elaborate scheme wherein Jude gets caught by his mother and then gets arrested selling drugs. Jude does this to help his mother, from whom he desperately desires acceptance. He is promised by Harry that once she is elected, they will get him out of juvenile detention. This do horribly awry and Jude ends up in the state penitentiary and Harry refuses to help him. Turns out Harry was just trying to get rid of him.

The story progresses from there, with Jude falling apart in prison and then finally building himself up. His goal is still to be accepted by his mother. For that, he needs Harry to tell his mother the truth, which is harder said than done.

Anyone that reads this book will be sucked into the story. Jude is a good person, who lived a hard life. He is flawed because he makes some silly mistakes and is too trusting of some people he shouldn't trust. But, all the same, Jude really is a good person in there, and wants to make something of himself. He is truly the underdog, and we root for him the entire time. All he really wants his entire life is love and acceptance, and it has eluded him for much of his life. Highly recommended for anyone that enjoys stories about crime and anyone that enjoys suspenseful books. This one is a litttle longer than most YA titles, but most readers won't even notice because they will be sucked in right away and have to get to the end to see how it ends.

When Dad Killed Mom **** 1/2

Lester, Julius. When Dad Killed Mom. New York: Harcourt, 2001.

I am glad I chose to re-reas this book. I remember enjoying it then and I enjoyed it again. This novels begins with Jeremy and his sister Jenna finding out that there father has killed their mother by shooting her outside a coffee shop. Jenna and Jeremy take sides and stop wanting to be around each other. Jenna takes her fathers side because she has always been a Daddy' girl while Jeremy was always with their mother. Jeremy remains in their mother's painting studio with their Grandfather watching over him. Jenna goes to stay with Karen, her mother's best friend and, interestingly, her father's ex wife.

Jenna and Jeremy start getting pulled in all directions. Their mother's parents live in San Franciso and want them to come and live with them, but they don't want to. They give up on that but then their other Grandfather gets deeply into their father's defense. The lawyer tries to get Jenna and Jeremy to testify that their parents fought all the time and that their mother was abusive to their father. While living in their mother's painters studio, Jeremy comes across his mother's diary. As he reads it, a lot of information comes out that changes things for everyone.

Each chapter alternates between Jeremy and Jenna which works really well for this book. Instead of a one-sided story, we get to see two sides and then see how they come together in the end. Highly recommended for all readers!

Rainbow Boys **** 1/2

Sanchez, Alex. Rainbow Boys. New York: Simon & Schuster, 2001.

This is my 100th post! Wow. That's a lot of books. Just think- in between reading all the fiction books at work, I also read adult novels just or me that never even get reviewed on here!

I can't believe it took me this long to get to this book. I had heard good things about it from some gay students at school but just never got around to reading it. Each chapter alternates between the three main characters.

Jason is on the basketball team and has been dating his girlfriend for years, but he has feelings for boys and doens't know what to make of them. His father is a violent alcoholic that screams and shouts and insults him and his mother, including calling him a "faggot" when he doesn't act as he wants him to act. He starts hanging out with Kyle because he needs help in Math, but it goes deeper than that. Kyle is gay but isn't out to his parents. When his parents find out, they freak out, particulary his father. Kyle has had a crush on Jason for years and is ecstatic when Jason turns up at a gay/lesbian support group. Nelson is Kyle's best friend but is in love with him. He is a little self centered. He is out to his parents and the student body. After Kyle rejects him, he has an encounter with an older man that doesn't end how he wants it to end. There is alot of homophobia. Nelson is frequently called "faggot" and encounters violence all the time. Kyle is attacked as well. Once people start to figure out Jason is gay, he also experiences discrimination.

I really enjoyed this book. It is a very strong story because it is told from the persepctive of three different gay teens, so we get multiple experiences about the same topic all in one story. I highly recommend this book to anyone, but particulary to gay or lesbian teens or anyone interested in learning more about it.

Skud ****

Foon, Dennis. Skud. Toronto: Douglas & McIntyre, 2003.

What a great book. The cover artwork is very interesting and will draw readers in immediately. The story inside won't disappoint either!

Tommy is an honor student, and a model citizen; deep inside, however, he has a hard time controlling his anger. His current problem is Sheila, his girlfriend, who has dumped him. He is angry at her, but moreso at Andy, who he thinks she is now seeing. Tommy invites Andy to a fight after school. Andy is in the drama club and a bit of a dork. He wants to be an actor and spends a lot of time going to auditions. His mother is somewhat disapproving of him overall, and his father is dead. Brad is a hockey player that is stuck on steroids. He uses the steroids to bulk up. He is Tommy's best friend and his back-up in the fight. During the fight Shane inexplicably comes to Andy's rescue and ends the fight. Shane is huge, and was a part of a big gang that is very violent. Andy has no idea why he would want to help him. They strike up an unlikely friendship. Each boy has inner demons he is fighting and they all come to a head at the climax of the book.

This is a great book for male readers. First of all, it is told from the perspective of 4 different people, so it keeps things interesting. It is a great book, reading about 4 people that all have problems and how their lives all seem to intersect at the same time. Recommended highly for male readers.

Gifts ****

LeGuin, Ursula K. Gifts. New York: Harcourt, 2004.

Anyone who reads this blog regularly knows that fantasy is not my cup of tea. I have to say, however, that I enjoyed this book more than I could have ever expected. Orrec and Gry live in the Uplands with their families. Each family there has a special Gift. Families try not to marry out of their line so that their gifts aren't lost. Gry's family gift is the call animals. Gry refuses to use her gift as her mother uses it-- to call animals to her so that hunters can slaughter them. Orrec's family can undo things. They can undo things as simple as undoing a knot, or they can undo a life-- from killing trees to animals to people. Orrec's gift doesn't seem to come on when it should, until he starts undoing things he doesn't mean to undo. He is told that his Gift is "wild", meaning he can't control what he undoes. He takes to wearing a blindfold so he doesn't undo anything by accident.

There is warring and feuding families in the novel, particularly between Orrec's land and the land next to their land, owned by Ogge. Ogge steals some of their cows but then tries to betroth his Granddaughter to Orrec. Ogge invites Orrec's family to their home for a period of time, to betroth them, but things go awry, leaving more discontent between the lands and families. Gry and Orrec don't know what to make of their gifts, and neither want to use them, although without using their gifts they are essentially useless to their respective families.

The novel comes to a satisfying conclusion, although not one that will surprise the reader. Recommended for anyone that enjoys fantasy novels.

Girl, 15, Charming but Insane ***

Limb, Sue. Girl, 15, Charming but Insane.

This book was "just ok". I didn't have any problems with it; it was just a cute, fun, story.

Jess feels ugly and fat. She has a friend, Flora, that is pretty and gets all the guys. Flora starts to date Mackenzie. By some stroke of luck, Ben, Mackenzie's friend, starts asking Jess out, which thrills her to no end because she has been secretly in love with him forever. She also has a platonic friend, Fred, that will do anything for her. The book ends up involving a few potential love triangles, and really focuses a lot of Jess and all of the strange things that keep happening to her.

This book doesn't have any major social issues or anything going on, it is just plain fun, following Jess around and all of the situations she finds herself involved in. Anyone looking for a fun story, will enjoy this one. Anyone that likes a book with more substance should steer clear of this one. There are some loose ends at the end, particularly with regard to her father and why her parents split, which leaves things open for a sequel.

Big Mouth and Ugly Girl **** 1/2

Oates, Joyce Carol. Big Mouth & Ugly Girl.

This book alternates between the perspective of Matt, a popular student that is involved in the school newspaper, student council, and the drama club and Ursula, an unpopular and socially awkward basketball player.

Ursula thinks she is ugly, and calls herself Ugly Girl. She thinks no one really likes her and that everyone is calling her names. Her father is never home and her mother pays attention to her younger sister, and seemingly ignores Ursula.

At lunch, Matt and his friends were discussing whether or not his play would be selected to the Spring Drama club presentation. He jokes that if he doesn't get selected, "what am I going to do-- blow up the school?" At that time Ursula and one of her friends is walking by and hears them, and knows they are joking. Two other girls, however, contact the Principal and the cops come to take Matt out of his study hall class. He is interrogated to the point where he almost confesses just to stop the questioning. He is suspended from school pending further investigation.

Ursula comes to his aid by telling the Principal what really happened, backed up by her friend Eveann. Matt is then released and allowed to come back to school. No one wants to be friends with Matt anymore, and he is pretty much ignored, even by Ursula who saved him.

Eventually, Ursula and Matt strike up an unlikely friendship, which shocks everyone in the school. Everyone is even more shocked when they find out who were the two anonymous accusers on that fateful day.

I highly recommend this book to any high school student as it shows what can happen to a student with a big mouth that doesn't always think before speaking. It is also an interesting book, well written, and it is fast paced, to keep the readers attention.

Monster **** 1/2

Myers, Walter Dean. Monster.

National Book Award Finalist
Michael L. Prints Award for Excellence in Young Adult Literature
Coretta Scott King Award

This book has won awards, but I don't think you should read it for that reason. No, you should read it because it is good.

It tells the story of Steven Harmon, an African American teen from Harlem, on trial for assisting in a robbery that turns into a murder. He is accused of being the look out, of going into the drug store first, to ensure there isn't anyone in the store, and then give the signall that it is ok to go in. Steve claims he wasn't even in the drug store that day. The book alternates between Steve's diary and a transcript of the trial. Steve, an aspiring filmmaker, tells the story of the trial is screenplay form, with close-ups, etc. This makes the book intersting as it isn't plain writing, it is a journal and a play all in one.

The size of this book has always put students off this book right from the beginning, but readers shouldn't worry about the length of the book. It is, indeed, 300 pages, but there is a lot of blank space, and the writing is very large, particularly in the diarty sections. I read this book in less than 2 hours. I recommend this book to anyone that doesn't like to read as it is fast paced and interesting, so it will hold anyone's attention.

Fallen Angels **** 1/2

Myers, Walter Dean. Fallen Angels.

This was one of the best books that I read, back in Library School. I loved it then and love it now that I have to read it again.

Fallen Angels details the life of a soldier in the Vietnam War, and others in his platoon. Perry is a black soldier that enlisted because he didn't know what else to do with this life. While he is in Vietnam, he worries about his younger brother and his alcoholic mother, back in Harlem. He befriends PeeWee, another black soldier from Chicago. Together, they try to survive the war while getting into many scary situations.

We know, of course, that there are going to be a lot of deaths. There is a lot of talk about wounds, and descriptive sections on how the various soldiers died. It is gory, but not gross. The story itself isn't just a war story. It is about Perry, PeeWee, and the rest of the people they come into . There are descrptive passages that really explain the various "battles" and ambushes they are involved in.

This book provides a snapshot into what it was like for many army troops during the Vietnam War. It is a great book for anyone to read that is interested in history, wars, and the Vietnam War in particular. There are many fiction novels about the war, but this one is aimed specifically at a high school audience, and it is particularly well written. I recommend it highly, especially to male readers.

Maus *****

Spiegelman, Art. Maus Vols I and II.

Despite the fact that these books (one book in 2 volumes) won the Pulitzer Prize, I would have never read these books if not forced to do so for the class I am taking. Am I glad I had to read them! These are graphic novels about the Holocaust. The books alternates between the present and the past. In the present, Artie starts visiting his father regularly, to learn about his experiences in the Holocaust. Vladic, his father, is a rigid man, and rather obsessive compulsive about not throwing anything away. He is also cheap. He is married to a woman and they don't get along; he got remarried after his wife, Anja, killer herself a few decades ago.

In the past, we see Vladic as a young man, just as the Holocaust is beginning. He meets Anja and marries her. His business is taken away and then there is a bit of time where he and the family try to escape being sent to the concentration camps. Volume 2 is about his experience in Auschwitz, where he isn't killed, but is used for skilled labor. He and Anja both manage to survive and the books shows them being liberated and, eventually, coming to the US.

I recommend this book to everyone. Anyone that likes graphic novels will like it. Anyone that likes war stories will like it. Anyone interested in history will like it. Anyone with any feelings at all will love it. This is a glimpse into the lives of one Holocaust survivor that is very interesting and informative.

Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time ****

Haddon, Mark. The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time.

This is an adult book appropriate for YAs.

This story is told from the perspective of a boy that is autistic. Chris lives alone with his father. One day he goes to a neighbor's house and finds her dog dead in the backyard, with a pitchfork through the body. Just as he picks up Wellington, the owner comes out and freaks out, assuming he has killed the dog. The police are called but nothing happens with it.

Chris, who is austic but also very gifted in mathematics, sets out to solve the murder mystery by talking to the neighbors. This is difficult for his since he doesn't like strangers, and he has limited social skills. Eventually, through his detecting, he discovers that his mother is alive, even though his father had told him she was dead. Years before she left them to go away wtih the huband of the woman that owned Wellington. Chris sets off on a trip to find his mother in London.

The story here is interesting and witty, seeing the story from the perspective of a teen with autism. It is not only entertaining but also shows what goes on in the mind of an autistic person. I recommend this to anyone that enjoys off-beat stories or is interested in autism.

Whale Talk ****1/2

Crutcher, Chris. Whale Talk.

I have always liked everything Chris Crutcher has written, and this is no exception. T.J. was a swimmer when he was younger, but he has spent his entire high school career avoiding getting involved in sports and extra-curricular activities, despite his natural ability. His favorite teacher, Mr. Simet asks him to join the newly formed swim team, he agrees. He then helps Mr. Simet recruit swimmers for the team. Have I mentioned here that the school doesn't have a pool?

TJ is mixed-- white, black, and Japanese. He manages to bring together a very different group of people that can't swim and sets the goal that they will all get letter jackets, which is highly prized at the school. The school bully, Mike Barbour, would be annoyed if anyone on the swim team got a jacket, so this fuels TJ's goal. Along the way, these unlikely teammates become friends and swimmers, against all odds.

There is another side-story in which a local racist (a friend of Mike Barbour) is abusing his girlfriend, who happens to have a bi-racial child that he also mistreats because of her race. TJ's parents allow her to stay at their home to stay away from him, but she has a hard time staying away from him, and the damage her daughter sustains gets worse every time he tells her she is dirty because she is part black.

Overall, this is a great book. The characters are all likable, except for the ones that you aren't supposed to like like Mike Barbour. The reader gets to like each of the guys on the team. You can see part of the ending coming from a mile away, but it is still enjoyable getting there. There is also a surprise at the end that readers won't see coming until they get there. Highly recommended!

Iceman **** 1/2

Lynchm Chris. Iceman.

I read this book years ago when I first started at my job. I was glad I got to re-read it. It reminded me of what I liked about it so much and why I booktalk it all the time.

Eric is a hockey player from a dysfunctional family. His father is somewhat uncommunicative and all he cares about it hockey. His mother left the nunnery to marry his father, but she is miserable and isn't very communicative either. His brother Duane was into sports and the family star until he just gave it all up for his guitar his freshman year. After he gave up sports, his parents stopped talking to him and they treat him with open disdain. Duane is also a real smart ass. Eric has grown up angry and with no social skills whatsoever.

Eric has no friends, only classmates and teammates, none of whom are his friends. His only real friend is Mary, his pet lizard. He loves watching Mary eat live prey. His only human acquaintance is McLaughlin, the local mortitian. He likes to hang out a the cemetery and talk to MacLaughlin, and lay in the coffins somtimes. On the ice, he is cold and heartless. He is good, but he plays angry all the time, preferring to bang people up and get into fights than to play with real skill. He isn't a team player. The audiences at away games call him "animal".

Things come to a head when he comes across a player somewhat like himself that takes a bite out of his nose. He discovers he doesn't even like hockey? Will he keep playing? Will he ever make any friends? Will he ever LIKE when people touch him? You'll have to read it to find out.

The Truth About Forever **** 1/2

Dessen, Sarah. The Truth About Forever. New York: Viking, 2004.

Macy is a ball of nerves. Ever since her father died a few years ago, she strives to be perfect. She thinks that if she is perfect, it will make things easier on her mother. In the meantime, her mother works all the time and doesn't seem to have any time for Macy at all, although she doesn't realize how little she knows her daughter.

As the summer begins, Macy is upset because her boyfriend is going away to Brain Camp for 6 weeks. Macy is taking over his library help desk job, which he takes very seriously. The three girls she works with hate her and make it obvious they don't want her around. Meanwhile, she meets up with caterers at one of her mother's events and gets a job working events with them in the evening. Her mother doesn't like it at all, and wants her to spend all of her spare time studying for the SATs. Her boyfriend breaks up with her essentially because she doesn't take her help desk job as seriously as he thinks she should. He decides they should take a break and reevaluate after he gets back from Brain Camp. Macy ends up falling for one of the boys that she works with, Wes, which leads her to confusion because she can't decide if she wants the safe and perfect guy, or the other new guy that doesn't seem perfect right away.

I love this book, but it will have a limited audience due to its length. It is almost 400 pages long. It is also very deep. There isn't any fluff here-- the book is very serious and deep. This doesn't mean that it isn't enjoyable, though. It is very well-written and enjoyable. I recommend it for anyone looking for a deep book that makes you think.

Bro ****

Peck, Robert Newton. Bro. New York: Harper Collins, 2004.

This is a historical fiction novel. Tugwell has been mute ever since he witnessed his Grandfather commit gruesome acts six years ago. Then a few years after that, Tug's older brother Broda goes to prison for being an alcohol trafficker. Now Tug and his parents are going back to Florida to visit his Grandfather, who is scared of. While his dysfunctional parents have an arguement in the car, they don't realize that a train is coming and that they are on the train tracks until it is too late. His parents are killed but Tug survives.

He is taken to his Grandfather's ranch where his Great Aunt Lulu will be staying and watching over him. Needless to say, this scares him since he has never met Lulu and he is scared of his Grandfather. Lulu is wonderful to him but he has to overcome his distrust of Grandpap. Meanwhile, while in prison, Bro finds out about Tug's situation and plans to break out of prison to help his brother out.

I throughly enjoyed the story and recommend it for any reluctant readers. The book is short, so it will appeal to people that "don't like to read", particulary male readers. The characters are all interesting and sympathetic, except the parents that die within the first 10 pages. Tug grows up and lot and learns so much just in a few weeks time. We see real growth in him and learn a little about sacrifice and life along the way.

Shooter ***

Myers, Walter Dean. Shooter. New York: Harper Collins, 2004.

This novel reminds me a lot of Myers' Monster in format. The book takes the form of a report from the Harrison County School Safety Committee, which includes psychiatrists, psychologists, FBI agents, etc. The committee's purpose is to determine the status of safety in the county's schools after a school shooting the previous year. The novel takes the form of transcripts of interviews with Cameron, then some newspaper clippings and other documents, and finally culminating in diary entries from Leonard.

Leonard is the student that shoots and kills 2 students and wounding more before turning the gun on himself. The people interviewed after the incident are his girlfriend Carla, who has some issues herself but wasn't involved in the shooting. Most of the interviews are with Cameron, Leonard's best friend who was with him during the shooting.

This novel, like Monster, is interesting because the reader has to fill in a lot of information themselves. All there is in most parts is dialogue, with no narrative in between to explain what the characters look like, what they are doing, etc. There is a lot left to the imagination, which some readers will enjoy and others will find annoying, depending on their reading preferences. I would recommend this to anyone that is interested in books that revolve around crime or anyone that enjoys books that get deeply into the psychology of its characters.

Year of Secret Assignments **** 1/2

Moriarty, Jaclyn. The Year of Secret Assignments. New York: Scholastic, 2004.



This was a great book. It is about three friends, Lydia, Emily, and Cassie, who attend a nice school. They are hooked up with three students at a neighboring school in a required pen pal project. This doesn't go over well because the girls think that all the Brookfield High kids are bad and criminals, etc. The boys aren't overjoyed to be writing to girls from Ashbury, who they think are snobby and rich. It turns out they all hit it off in their letters and all decide they want to meet up after awhile. The only roadbump is that Cassie's pen pal, who was initially rude to her but finally warmed up, keeps standing her up, and then he is purposely cruel to her. Then the other 2 girls discover through their pen pals, that there isn't even a Matthew Dunlop that goes to Brookfield. This makes the two girls and their pen pals join together to find out who is teasing and hurting their friend.

Toward the end, there is a lot of vandalism in each school, believed to be in retaliation between the schools because of their rivalries. Lydia, Cassie, and Em are accused of being the perpetrators of the vandalism at Brookfield, even though they claim they are innocent. We aren't really sure as readers if they are innocent because they are pranksters, and it is believable that they would do such a thing. They have to prove they are innocent before they get expelled.

The entire novel is told in the form of letters to each other, journal entries, notes, and various other forms of communication. I thought it would hard keeping up with who was who, since the point of view changes often. There were a few times when I had to think to myself "Is Cassie the one with the dead father or the one who is high strung?" but I figured it out quickly enough since the writing style of all 6 characters is quite distinctive. My favorite is Em who uses big words, but uses them all wrong. It is amusing, but will be lost on readers that dont' know what the words mean in the first place.

This is supposed to be a companion novel to Feeling Sorry for Celia, which I recall enjoying a few years ago. I went on Amazon to see the reviews, and the characters are all different. I think the only similarity that makes it a "companion novel" is that the novel also centers around the same pen pal project, only with different characters.

I highly recommend this witty novel.

Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants *****

Brashares, Ann. Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants. 2001.
The Second Summer of the Sisterhood. 2003.
Girls in Pants: The Third Summer of the Sisterhood. 2005.





The book I just read is Girls in Pants, but I thought I would review the whole series, since this is the third in a very popular series. The series is so popular that there will be a movie coming out this summer based upon the first novel.

The first book is based upon the unlikely premise that all four of these girls were born in the same month. Their mothers were friends in lamaze class and they became friends early on playing together. Then, the unlikely part is that they have all stayed close all throughout school, even though they are all very different from each other and have different interests. You have to suspent disbelief as far as that goes and just go with it, since the story itself is really great.

The book starts with the girls facing their first summer apart ever. They are going to be in different places-- Greece to see family, soccer camp, stuck at home with noone else, etc. They have a pair of jeans that miraculously fits them all, and they agree to send them to each other all summer without washing them so that they can have a connection. Again, you have to suspect disbelief that 4 girls that are all different body types would fit into the same pair of pants. The novel is great because we follow four separate stories really, but they all come together in a few letters and with the pants.

The second and third novel continue the story. This most recent, Girls in Pants, details their last summer before leaving for college. They are all somewhat scattered and busy, but they stay friends through it all. I recommend this entire series. They are really quite good. I hope there will be at least one more summer for the sisterhood, after their first year of college. It would be interesting to see what happens to them all after they are separted and have new lives apart from each other.

Margaux with an X ***

Koertge, Ron. Margaux with an X. Cambridge, Candlewick. 2004.



I didn't like this book because I had a hard time figuring out what it was about. The writing itself was good, and quite advanced, but I am not sure where Koertge was going with it.

Margaux is really attractive. Her and her friends engage in a lot of attention-seeking behaviours. Most people hate her because she is so pretty and men like her just for her looks. She hates her home life because it is really toxic, so she looks for ways to get out of the house and away from her parents. She meets an unattractive guy from school, Danny. He works with the Humane Society, looking after the dogs. In his spare time he goes to homes to check on the dogs that were adopted out. He lives with an Aunt that is ill.

The novel centers around their friendship, but there isn't really much to it. There was so much more that we still don't know about these people. There wasn't that much action or dialogue. I am still a little puzzled. I guess I wish I learned more about these characters, since the book was about them. I left the book not knowing anything more about the characters than when I started.